Tandem sifter for flour and other products



Nov. 13, 1962 PQWINCHELL 3,063,563

TANDEM SIFTER FOR FLOUR AND OTHER PRODUCTS Fild Jan. 50, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORQ PAUL WINCHELL ATTORNEY Nov. 13, 1962 P. WINCHELL TANDEM SIFTER FOR FLOUR AND OTHER PRODUCTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 30, 1961 INVENTOR. PAUL WiNCHELL United States Patent 3,063,563 TANDEM SIFTER FOR FLOUR AND OTIER PRODUCTS Paul Winchell, Whitestone, N.Y., assignor to Chelwin Productions, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 85,847 2 Claims. (Cl. 209-283) This invention concerns a sifter for flour or the like, and particularly concerns a tandem sifter which sifts granular or powdery material through a succession of sieves.

According to the invention there is provided an improved household appliance including a transparent plastic stand or base upon which is removably mounted a first sifter. This sifter includes a cylindrical body in which is mounted an electric motor. The motor drives an agitator rotatably disposed over a screen through which the granular material is sifted. A dish, tray or bowl may be placed underneath the base to collect the sifted material. electrical conductors embedded therein. The conductors terminate in electrical contacts at the top of the member. A second sifter can be removably mounted on the first sifter in an interfitting relationship. The second sifter includes another cylindrical body having a depending flange adapted to fit within the lower cylindrical body. In the flange are embedded electrical contacts projecting outwardly to engage the contacts of the lower body. The electrical contacts in the flange are electrically connected to a second motor carried by the upper body. The second motor drives another agitator mounted rotatably over a screen at the bottom of the upper cylindrical body. A power cord and plug are provided for connection to an external source of power. This power cord is connected in circuit with the motor on the lower body. When the plug is inserted in a power outlet both motors will be energized simultaneously. The motor in the upper body derives its power via the electrical circuit of the lower body. The upper body can be readily removed to convert the device to a single stage sifter. When the upper body is in place on the lower body, the device constitutes a two-stage tandem sifter. lindrical bodies and base are preferably made of transparent plastic material.

It is therefore one obect of the invention to provide a multiple stage motor driven tandem sifter for granular or powdery material.

It is another object to provide a multiple stage tandem sifter including two separable cylindrical bodies, the bodies carrying electric motors in circuit with electrical contacts carried by the bodies, with agitators in the bodies driven by the motors.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

-In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the assembled sifter device.

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the sifter taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view on an enlarged scale of the device.

FIG. 5 is 'a sectional view of a portion of the device on a further enlarged scale .taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

The cylindrical body carries a pair of' The several cy- FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view, somewhat diagrammatic in form, showing electrical contacts employed in the device.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of an electrical circuit of the device.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown the sifter device 10, including a transparent dome-like plastic base or stand 12. This stand has a wide, open bottom 14 and tapers upwardly to a neck 16 formed with a horizontal annular ledge 18 having a central opening 20; see FIG. 2. Removably seated on the base is a cylindrical body 22. This member has a depending annular skirt or flange 24 which fits within the opening 20. The flange extends inwardly of a shoulder 26 which seats on. the ledge. A motor housing 25 is mounted on the outside of the body 22 by screws 23; see FIG. 3. The housing contains a motor 25" as indicated in FIG. 5. The motor has a horizontal shaft 28 which extends through an opening 29 diametrically across body 22. The shaft carries a plurality of semicircular wires 32 which serve as beaters or agitators for powdery or granular material which may be disposed in the cylindrical body. A spherically curved screen 34 is peripherally mounted on a shoulder 27 formed inwardly of the cylindrical body just above flange 24. A ring 35 encloses the periphery of the screen and seats removably on shoulder 27. The agitators rotate above the screen on shaft 28 whose outer end is journaled in an opening in the body 22 diametrall-y opposed to opening 29.

In the motor housing 25 is a pair of cylindrical electrical contacts 36 which extend up to openings 37 in the rear wall 38 of the motor housing; see FIG. 5. A pair of electrical conductors 40 in the form of rods or bars are embedded longitudinally in the wall of the body 22. These conductors have outwardly extending contacts 44 which engage in the contacts 36 as shown in FIG. 5. At their upper ends, the conductors 40 have V-shaped recesses 45. These recesses are exposed at openings 46 formed in the inner wall of the body 22 at its upper end. Mating V-shaped contacts 48 carried by another cylindrical body50 engage in recesses 45.

Cylindrical body 50 has the same diameter as body 22 and has a lower depending annular flange or skirt 52 which fits within the top 21 of body 22. Embedded in the skirt and circumferentially spaced thereon are conductors 54 integrally formed with the contacts 48; see FIG. 6. The conductors have outwardly extending terminals 56 which engage in cylindrical contact terminals 57 of another motor 58; shown schematically in FIG. 7. The motor 58 is contained within another motor housing 60 similar to motor housing 25. The motor housing 60 is secured to the outside of body 50 by screws 62. A seat or shoulder 64 is formed at flange 52 to seat on the top 21 of cylindrical body 22 when the skirt 52 is inserted thereon as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The motor in housing 60 has a rotatable shaft 65 which extends horizontally and diametrally across the body 50 and is journaled in the wall of the body. Shaft 65 carries semicircular heaters or agitators 66 which rotate over spherically curved screen 68 mouted peripherally on a seat 70 formed inside body 50. Peripheral ring 61 is secured on the rim of screen 68.

Handles 72, 74 may be provided on the outer sides of the respective bodies 22, 50. A cover 75 may be provided to close the upper or lower cylindrical body. The cover has a depending flange 76 which fits Within the top of either body. A knob 78 on the cover facilitates handling. A dish, bowl or tray 80 may be provided in the base 12 as shown in FIG. 4 to collect the doubly sifted material dropping through screen 34. A power cord 82 terminating in a plug 84 is connected in circuit with motor 25a for energizing it.

Referring to FIG. 7, it will be noted that contacts 48 are connected to motor 58 and serve as a plug which engages in a socket defined by the recesses 45 in conductors 40. Conductors 40 are electrically connected to the wires 81 in power cord 82 via contacts 44 and 36. Motor 25 is connected to wires 81 in parallel with contacts 36, 44 and conductors 40. The power plug 84 can be inserted into any suitable electrical outlet P to energize both motors 25 and 58 simultaneously. If the upper body is removed from the lower body, the circuit is broken.

By placing material to be sifted in the upper body, and placing the body on the lower one, the motor 58 will be started to drive the agitators 66 and perform the sifting function. Motor 25 will drive agitators 32 to sift the material again. The doubly sifted material will fall through screen 34 to the collecting member 80.

The transparent structure of the stand 12 and bodies 25, 50 provides the user with a View of the interior of the entire device to monitor the sifting: operation.

The device is arranged so that all electrical contacts are safely insulated by the plastic bodies but are available for instant engagement and disengagement.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1, In a sifting device, a first cylindrical hollow body, an electric motor mounted on the body and having a shaft extending diametrally across the body, arcuate agitator members carried by the shaft, 21 screen mounted at one end of the body below the agitator members, conductor means for applying electric power to said motor, a pair of electrical conductors carried by said body at the other end thereof and electrically connected to said conductor means in parallel circuit with said motor, a second cylindrical body having a lower annular portion fitting within said other end of the first body, a pair of electrical contacts mounted on said lower portion of the second body, a second motor mounted on the second body and electrically connected to said pair of contacts,

engaging each other in direct electrical circuit when the second body is seated on the first body, whereby both motors are simultaneously energized, each of said bodies being a transparent plastic member, said conductors and said contacts being embedded in walls of the first and second bodies respectively; and a stand supporting the bodies, said stand being a dome-shaped body for covering a collector of the material shifted through the screen in the first body.

2. In a sifting device, a first cylindrical hollow body, an electric motor mounted on the body and having a shaft extending diametrally across the body, arcuate agitator members carried by'the shaft, a screen mounted at one end of the body below the agitator members, conductormeans for applying electric power to said motor, a pair of electrical conductors carried by said body at the other end thereof and electricallyu connected to said conductor means in parallel circuit with said motor, a second cylindrical body having a lower annular portion fitting within said other end of the first body, a pair of electrical contacts mounted on said lower portion of the second body, a second motor mounted on the second body and electrically connected to said pair of contacts, said second motor having a shaft extending diametrally across thersecond body and rotatably carrying other agitator members, and another screen mounted in the second body below the other agitator members for passing granular material therethrough to the first body, said pair of electrically conductors and said pair of contacts mutually engaging each other in direct electrical circuit when the second body is seated on the first body, whereby both motors are simultaneously energized, each of said bodies being a transparent plastic member, said conductors and said contacts being embedded in walls of the first and second bodies respectively; and a stand supporting the bodies, said stand being a dome-shaped body for covering a collector of the material sifted through the screen in the first body, said stand having an upper open end,

said second motor having a shaft extending diametrally said first body having a depending skirt portion extending through the open upper end of the stand to discharge sifted material into the interior of the stand, said stand, first and second bodies being formed of transparent plastic material, a round cover removably mounted on the second body, and handles on the first and second bodies.

References Cited in the file of this patent I UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,607,235 Brundage Nov. 16-, 1926 1,767,262 Sehmitz June 24, 1930 2,036,942 Hudson Apr. 7, 1936 2,168,130 Lingle Aug. 1, 1939 2,837,245 Grebowiec June 3, 1958 

